Over 2,500 ice hockey players and family members have come together this holiday weekend for the Empire State Cup. This annual event, which is put on by MyHockey Tournaments, runs the 19th through the 21st, with Bill Gray’s Regional Iceplex acting as the host rink.

In total, 62 youth hockey teams will compete, of which 50 teams have braved the winter storm warnings, and have traveled in from all over North America. The event attracts U.S. teams from NY, NJ, MI, VA, MD, PA, DE, and CA, as well as 11 Canadian teams from the Province of Ontario.

The 50 out of town teams equates to roughly 2,000 out-of-town guests that will reside in local hotels, dine in local restaurants, and shop in local stores over the three-day period.

Based on the National Association of Sports Commissions Economic Impact Assumptions, this event will have an economic impact on the local community in the range of $425,000 and $625,000.

Bill Gray's Regional Iceplex announced it's new Zamboni Experience program today, which will host it's inaugural class on February 23rd, from 9:00am to 1:00pm.

The Zamboni has always been incredibly popular in the United States, and is quite possibly more popular than the game of hockey itself. Many people have always dreamed of driving this machine, which lives inside ice rinks all around the world. This new program offers adults 18 year of age and older an opportunity to learn about all things Zamboni, includes a combination of classroom and in-rink instruction, and covers the following;

History of the Zamboni

How the Zamboni works

How to drive a Zamboni

An opportunity to drive the Zamboni on ice

The program cost is $100.00, and a requires all participants to have a valid U.S. issued drivers license in order to participant. Limited space is available for this program, and full information is available by clicking HERE.

Over 4,500 ice hockey players and family members will come together this weekend for the Bauer Fire on Ice tournament. The annual event, which is put on by Legacy Global Sports, takes place at all of the ice rinks in the Greater Rochester area, with Bill Gray’s Regional Iceplex acting as the host rink. The event, which is the largest girls’ hockey tournament in the United States, runs from November 2nd through November 4th and features playing divisions from U-10 to U-19.

This year’s event will feature an NCAA D1 Women’s Hockey regular season game between Union College and St. Lawrence University. This game takes place in Lattimore Arena at Bill Gray’s Regional Iceplex on Saturday (November 3rd) at 7:30pm, with tickets available for $5.00

Based on the National Association of Sports Commissions Economic Impact Assumptions, this event will have an economic impact on the local community in the range of $1,200,000 to $1,400,000.

About Legacy Global Sports:Legacy Global Sports engages over 1,000,000 elite youth athletes and their families at over 350 exclusive youth sports events, tournaments and tours across North America and Europe each year. Their world-class marquee events and brand partnerships enhance our brand equity give us the leverage to dominate elite youth sports across all pillars of the LEGACY brand – from events and academies to housing & travel, apparel, education and representation. For more information visit ​www.legacyglobalsports.com.

Bill Gray’s Regional Iceplex is playing host to three major ice hockey events this weekend at the 186,000 square foot multi-use sports facility. In all, over 2,500 athletes and visitors are expected to visit the Iceplex over the course of this weekend.

SuperSeriesAAA Bracket Madness: October 26th – 28th17 Peewee Minor AAA teams are competing in this annual ice hockey tournament organized by SuperSeriesAAA, which is based out of Livingston, New Jersey. Teams from NY, CT, NJ, MA, PA, CA, NY, and Canada will be participating in this tournament, which runs Friday through Sunday.For more information, visit www.superseriesaaa.com.

Mite Fright Tournament: October 27th and 28thThis annual hockey event, run by Rochester Youth Hockey, has 23 teams from all over Wester New York competing. Teams are all from the Mite level, meaning players are all 7 and 8 years of age, with games taking place in a cross ice format.For more information, visit www.ryhockeytournaments.com.

Nazareth Women’s Hockey: October 26th and 27thNazareth's newest intercollegiate team -- women's hockey -- makes its debut this weekend with a pair of non-conference home games against Anna Maria College of Massachusetts. Friday's first face-off is at 6 p.m., Saturday's at 2 p.m.

Head Coach Chris Baudo has spent more than a year recruiting players from all over the United States. Nine different states and one foreign country (Sweden) are represented on the 27-player roster. There are 24 freshmen and three sophomores.

"The plan is to be consistent every day in what we do and to be better every day," said Baudo, who previously coached at The Gunnery prep school in Connecticut. "We haven't talked about wins and losses, but the cool thing is that we are what we are right now, but we're not what we're going to be."

As competitors in the 10-team UCHC, Nazareth will play a 25-game schedule with 13 home games. The Golden Flyers' first taste of college hockey came last Saturday when they traveled to Morrisville for an exhibition game. Though they lost 4-1, Baudo and his troops were encouraged by the team's resilience. Three of the four goals that were allowed came in the closing minute of each period, including an empty-net tally with 30 seconds left in the third.

"I think we gained come confidence in knowing that we can compete right away," said Baudo. "We know that it's going to take a consistent work ethic and playing hard and fast all the time."

Even though the Golden Flyers have yet to play an official game, they were picked to place eighth in the United Collegiate Hockey Conference for 2018-19.

"We're chomping at the bit," said Baudo. "I think the kids have been blown away by the support of the school and they're anxious to get started."​For more information, visit www.nazathletics.com.

The Rochester Americans, in conjunction with Bill Gray’s Regional Iceplex, announced today a new season-long partnership designed to grow and promote the game of hockey at all levels.

Bill Gray’s Iceplex, which continues to serve as the official practice facility of the Amerks, currently offers hockey programming for all ages and skill levels specifically aimed at providing an all-around experience for participants. The on-ice session focuses primarily on skill and tactical development with a heavy emphasis on the game’s fundamentals, such as skating, passing and shooting. The programs also offer an increased awareness on the importance of proper technique and methodology all within the comfort of a fun environment that allows the individual to learn through having fun.

Through the expanded partnership, Amerks players, coaches and Alumni members will be available to help provide on-ice instruction so that participants are able to learn first-hand from some of the game’s top professionals.

“As an organization, we’re continuously looking at ways of introducing the game of hockey to new and active audiences,” said Amerks vice president of business operations Rob Minter. “By partnering with Bill Gray’s Iceplex and supporting the various programs they’re currently offering, it allows us the opportunity to aid in the growth and development of the sport at both the youth and adult level while also reaching a deeper level of engagement with our fans.”

“Our operational model is built upon the core foundation of fiercely growing the game of ice hockey in the Greater Rochester area,” said Chris Woodworth, general manager of Bill Gray’s Regional Iceplex. “We share this passion with the Rochester Americans, and we are thrilled to be collaborating with them on this initiative. This partnership will allow us to continue growing our entry-level hockey programming, which teaches hundreds of locals the greatest game on earth each year.”

Through this partnership, a progression of programming will be offered, ranging from learning to skate with advancement paths into hockey programs for both youth and adults.

Skating 101 (all ages program) is the starting point for anyone who has a desire to learn how to play ice hockey. This eight-week program teaches all participants the fundamentals of ice skating, the building block for advancing into ice hockey. For full program information and online registration, visit bgri.fun/skating101.

Hockey 101 (ages 4 to 8) is the entry program for children to learn the game of ice hockey. This 8-week program is free for all first-time participants, and includes a complimentary loaner equipment kit, eliminating all costs in starting out in the sport. For full program information and online registration, visit bgri.fun/hockey101.

The Never Ever League (18+) is a widely popular learn to play hockey program for adults. This co-ed program is designed for the true beginner, and since its inception in 2012, has taught over 1,000 adults how to play the game of hockey. For full program information and online registration, visit bgri.fun/neverever.

Amerks 2018-19 Season Ticket Memberships, which start as low as just $12 per game, are on-sale now. Full-season ticket member benefits include, but are not limited to, Riverside Club VIP Room access with Amerks Alumni, family meet and greet and annual Skate with the Players event, an exclusive preseason Ice Breaker Party and Chalk Talk with the Amerks coaching staff, your very own Season Ticket Member ID and Discount Card and much more. For more information, visit www.amerks.com/seasontickets or call 1-855-GO-AMERKS.

About Bill Gray’s Regional Iceplex

Bill Gray’s Regional Iceplex is a 186,000-square foot, participatory sports facility centrally located on the campus of Monroe Community College, in Rochester N.Y. It is home to four NHL-sized ice rinks, with the feature rink inside Lattimore Arena, which is capable of seating 3,000 spectators. The facility is home to a Bill Grays Restaurant & Tap Room, Abbott's Frozen Custard, Coffee ETC Cafe, Iceplex Concessions, Locker Room Sports Retail Hockey Store, Parisi Speed School, Legacy Global Sports Event Management, Lattimore Physical Therapy, Iceplex Fitness and a Visit Rochester Tourism Center. It also serves as the practice and training facility for the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League.

The Iceplex is one of North America’s premier large-scale tournament venues, hosting numerous hockey events throughout the calendar year with teams competing from all over North America. It is also home to numerous hockey organizations, hosts of a wide range of third-party events, as well as managers of a diverse portfolio of internally run programs, leagues and special events.